Rear ejection impact marking ammunition assembly

ABSTRACT

An ammunition assembly comprising a body having an interior chamber between leading and trailing ends, and a nose portion is attached to the leading end. An ejectable payload is disposed in the chamber. An ejectable payload is disposed in the marking chamber. A pusher, adjacent to the nose and interior chamber, is axially moveable into the interior chamber to push the payload rearwardly out of the body&#39;s trailing end. An aft cover is connected to the trailing end and retains the payload in the body until the nose impacts a target. The aft cover is separable from the body when the pusher ejects the payload out the trailing end portion when the nose impacts the target so the ejected payload marks the target without being obscured by the body or the target after impact.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional patent application hereby claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/510,012, titled Rear Ejection Impact Marking Ammunition Assembly, filed Jul. 20, 2011, and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to ammunition, and more particularly to ammunition configured to mark an impact area, and related methods.

BACKGROUND

The United States Armed Forces uses training ammunition to provide realistic high-fidelity training to its service members. The rise in night-time visual devices has required corresponding advances in training ammunition. Typically, tracers are placed in the aft-most end of the projectiles while impact markers are placed in the fore-most end; i.e., the nose of the projectiles such that they are activated and/or dispersed upon projectile impact. This provides an impact signature visible to the gunner to help confirm whether the fire is on target, whether correction to the aim is needed and, most importantly, the direction of the correction. A major disadvantage of a nose-mounted impact marker comes from the very fact that the signature material/device is positioned in the projectile's nose; in that the projectile's body is between the impact signature and the gunner so that the projectile body can block or otherwise obscure a major portion of the impact signature. This condition is further exasperated should the projectile impact a soft target such as earth, snow, water, and the like. Under these conditions, the projectile may penetrate into the “soft” target before the impact signature material deploys, thus completely obscuring the projectile's impact from the gunner. Thus there is a need to make the impact signature visible to the gunner regardless of the nature of the target. Furthermore, the applicable tracer and impact signature materials need to be such that they do not cause range fires upon activation/ejection/deployment.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a rear ejection impact marking ammunition assembly that overcomes drawbacks of the prior art and provide other benefits. The ammunition assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment provides a target-marking ammunition assembly fireable from a firing system toward a target. The assembly comprises a tubular body having a marking chamber disposed between opposing leading and trailing end portions. The trailing end portion has an opening therein in communication with the marking chamber. A nose ogive is attached to the leading end portion of the tubular body. A pusher is disposed in the nose ogive and is at least partially adjacent to the marking chamber. The pusher is axially moveable relative to the tubular body's trailing end portion. A signature material is disposed in the marking chamber, and an aft cover member is connected to the trailing end portion of the tubular body. The cover has an aperture therein in communication with the marking chamber and positioned to contain the signature material in the marking chamber until impact. The pusher is axially movable toward the trailing end portion and at least partially into the marking chamber to eject the signature marker from the marking chamber through the trailing end portion when the nose ogive impacts the target. The signature material marks the target upon ejection from the marking chamber after the nose ogive and pusher impact the target.

In another embodiment, a target-marking ammunition assembly comprises a tubular body having an interior chamber disposed between opposing leading and trailing end portions. An ejectable payload is disposed in the interior chamber, and a nose portion is attached to the leading end portion of the body. A pusher is adjacent to the nose and the leading end portion of the body. At least a portion of the pusher is adjacent to the interior chamber and is axially moveable relative to the interior chamber and the body's trailing end portion to push the payload rearwardly away from the nose. An aft cover member is connected to the trailing end portion of the tubular body and is configured to retain the payload in the body until the nose portion impacts a target. At least a portion of the aft cover is separable from the body when the pusher pushes the payload rearwardly away from the nose. The pusher is axially movable toward the trailing end portion and at least partially into the marking chamber to eject the payload from the interior out the trailing end portion when the nose impacts the target, wherein the payload ejected from the trailing end portion is configured to mark the target without being obscured by the body or the portions of the target after impact.

In another embodiment, a target-marking ammunition assembly, fireable from a firing device, comprises a body having an interior chamber disposed between opposing leading and trailing end portions. An ejectable payload is disposed in the marking chamber, and at least a portion of the payload is a tracer element configured to emit a traceable signature from behind the body during travel along a trajectory. A nose portion is coupled to the leading end portion of the body. A pusher is adjacent to the leading end portion of the body, and at least a portion of the pusher is adjacent to the interior chamber and being axially moveable relative to the interior chamber and the body's trailing end portion to eject the payload rearwardly through the body's trailing end portion to mark the target without the ejected payload being obscured by the body or the portions of the target after impact. An aft cover member is connected to the trailing end portion of the tubular body and is configured to retain the payload in the body until the nose portion impacts a target. The aft cover member has a window portion that provides visibility from the rear of the body to the payload in the interior chamber during travel along the trajectory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ammunition assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the current disclosure, along with a trajectory path 12 from a firing system, such as a gun, to an impact area at a target.

FIG. 2 is schematic cross-sectional view of an ammunition assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is schematic cross-sectional view of an ammunition assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes an ammunition assembly 10 configured to mark an impact area in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. Several specific details of the invention are set forth in the following description and the Figures to provide a thorough understanding of certain embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, and that other embodiments of the invention may be practiced without several of the specific features described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ammunition assembly 10 in accordance with an embodiment and showing a trajectory path 12 from a firing system 14, such as a gun 15, to an impact area 16 at a target 18. One embodiment of the ammunition assembly 10 shown in FIG. 2 is a training round that would have an impact signature visible to the gunner 11 regardless of the nature of the target 18. The illustrated ammunition assembly 10 has a projectile 100 containing signature material 22 and that provides an aft ejecting impact signature 20 (FIG. 1); i.e., upon projectile impact. The signature material 22 is projected aft directly towards the gunner without projectile body and/or target obscuration.

In at least one configuration, the projectile 100 has a substantially tubular body 24 with a pusher 26 in the nose ogive 28 and a protective cover 30 at the projectile rear 32 with the signature material 22 between the two. The tubular projectile body 24 is fabricated of a structurally strong material such as a steel alloy, or other suitably strong material, sized to fit the barrel 34 of the firing system 14 (FIG. 1), such as the gun 15, and equipped with driving/rotating bands 36 (FIG. 2), if required. The pusher 26 is fabricated of a more ductile material, such as an aluminum alloy, and is configured to be a tapered interference fit in the forward end 38 of the tubular projectile body 24, similar to a Morse taper fit as used on machine tools. The forward end 40 of the pusher 26 could mate up to a streamlined thin-wall windscreen 42 forming the forward nose 44 of the projectile 100. Immediately aft of the pusher 26 is the payload 46, such as a signature material 22, most likely contained in a selected ampoule 48 (FIG. 3). Aft of the signature material ampoule 48 and forming the rear-most section of the projectile 100 is the aft cover 50. This aft cover 50 is configured as a stepped “hat” with the smaller diameter fitting into the inner cavity 52 of the tubular projectile body 24 and abutting the aft end 54 of the signature material ampoule 48. The larger diameter of the aft cover 50 matches the outer diameter of the tubular projectile body 24.

Upon firing the ammunition assembly 10, the propellant gases act on the large diameter of the aft cover 50, pushing it and the rest of the projectile 100 down and out of the weapon's barrel 34. The stepped “hat” configuration of the aft cover 50 serves to transmit the propelling force of the propellant gasses directly upon the entire projectile 100 through the tubular projectile body 24. This action, combined with the tapered configuration/interface of the forward end of the tubular projectile body 24 and pusher 26, prevents the premature forward or aft ejection of the signature material ampoule 48.

Upon impact with the target 18, the impact forces will collapse the thin-wall streamlined windscreen 42 allowing the pusher 26 to be acted upon by the force of target impact. This force will drive the pusher 26 into the projectile's tubular body 24, the ductile pusher 26 swaging down as the tapered configuration/interface dictates. Should the target impact be off-axis, the ductile nature of the pusher 26 will still enable the pusher 26 to be driven into the tubular projectile body 24. The act of the target impact forces driving the pusher 26 into the tubular projectile body 24 will cause the pusher 26 to in turn crush/rupture the signature material ampoule 48 then push it and the aft cover 50 rearward out of the tubular projectile body 24, thus ejecting the signature material 22 (or other payload) rearward towards the gunner. As discussed above, the payload can be a signature material 22 that marks the impact area 16 (FIG. 1) of the projectile 100.

In other embodiments, the ammunition assembly 10 can carry other payloads within the projectile body 24 that are ejected out the rear end of the projectile 100 upon impact. For example, the payload can be an energetic material, a gas generating material, an ignition material (one which can intentionally generate sufficient heat to ignite material at the impact area 16), a signature-effect material, or other selected payloads. Depending upon the nature of the signature material 22; for example a chemiluminescent material, in one embodiment of the projectile 100 and its components, the signature material 22 could perform a tracer function prior to target impact and subsequent ejection/target impact marking functioning.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the ammunition assembly 10 is configured as a tracer round. This tracer round has a construction generally similar to the assembly of FIG. 2, except the aft cover (also referred to as a base plug 60) has a transparent or translucent window portion 62 that provide visibility from the rear of the projectile 100 into the area of the body 24 carrying at least a portion of the signature material 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the signature material 22 includes an activateable chemiluminescent material configured to be activated by the forces at shot start, or by centrifugal forces at or near exiting the barrel 34 of the gun 15 or other firing device 14 (FIG. 1).

In operation of at least one embodiment, the tracer ammunition assembly 10 is fired from the gun 15 (FIG. 1), and the chemiluminescent material in the projectile body 24 is activated at shot start or upon exiting the gun barrel 34 so as to generate light 35 (FIG. 1) within the projectile body 24. The light is visible to the gunner through the window portion 62 of the aft cover 50 as the projectile 100 travels away from the gunner along the trajectory path 12 to the intended target 18. The light within the projectile body 24 can be within the visible spectrum so the gunner can see the light with the naked eye. In another embodiment, the light can be in the infrared spectrum, ultraviolet, or other non-visible spectrum, such that the gunner can see the light using the appropriate vision enhancing equipment. The fact that the light is generated within the projectile body 24 and is visible from behind the ammunition round along its means that the gunner can see the tracing light, but personnel in front or to the side of the ammunition round along its trajectory path 12 will not be able to see the light within the projectile body 24.

The tracer ammunition assembly 10 of the illustrated embodiment also has the pusher 26 within the projectile body 24. When the projectile 100 impacts the target 18 (FIG. 1), the pusher 26 causes the signature material 22, such as the chemiluminescent material and/or other marking material (e.g., dye powder or the like), is ejected out the rear of the projectile body 24. Accordingly, the ejected signature material 22 is visible to the gunner or other personnel at impact without the projectile body 24 or portions of the target 18 (FIG. 1) obscuring the signature material 22.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the invention. Additionally, aspects of the invention described in the context of particular embodiments or examples may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Although advantages associated with certain embodiments of the invention have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages. Additionally, not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims. 

I/We claim:
 1. A target-marking ammunition assembly fireable from a firing system toward a target, comprising: a tubular body having a marking chamber disposed between opposing leading and trailing end portions, the trailing end portion having an opening therein in communication with the marking chamber; a nose ogive attached to the leading end portion of the tubular body, a pusher disposed in the nose ogive and at least partially adjacent to the marking chamber the pusher being axially moveable relative to the tubular body's trailing end portion; a signature material disposed in the marking chamber; and an aft cover member connected to the trailing end portion of the tubular body, the cover having an aperture therein in communication with the marking chamber and positioned to contain the signature material in the marking chamber until impact; wherein the pusher is axially movable toward the trailing end portion and at least partially into the marking chamber to eject the signature marker from the marking chamber through the trailing end portion when the nose ogive impacts the target, and wherein the signature material is configured to mark the target upon ejection from the marking chamber after the nose ogive and pusher impact the target.
 2. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, wherein the aft cover is separable from the trailing end portion of the tubular body, and configured to be separated rearwardly from the tubular body upon ejection of the signature material via the pusher.
 3. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, further comprising a crushable ampoule disposed in the marking chamber, at least a portion of the signature material being contained in the ampoule.
 4. The ammunition assembly of claim 3, wherein the aft cover has a stepped-hat configuration with a first portion disposed partially exterior of the body, and having a second portion that fits into and is at least partially disposed in the marking chamber immediately adjacent to the ampoule.
 5. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, further comprising driving bands connected to the body.
 6. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, wherein the nose ogive includes a thin-walled, streamlined windscreen that defines a forward nose of the ammunition assembly.
 7. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, further comprising a case, and the tubular body, the signature material, the nose ogive, and the pusher define a projectile seperably attached to the case, and configured to travel along a trajectory path to the target.
 8. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, wherein the signature material is a powdered dye material.
 9. The ammunition assembly of claim 1, wherein the signature material is a chemiluminescent material.
 10. A target-marking ammunition assembly, comprising: a tubular body having an interior chamber disposed between opposing leading and trailing end portions; an ejectable payload disposed in the interior chamber; a nose portion attached to the leading end portion of the body; a pusher adjacent to the nose and the leading end portion of the body, at least a portion of the pusher is adjacent to the interior chamber and is being axially moveable relative to the interior chamber and the body's trailing end portion to push the payload rearwardly away from the nose; and an aft cover member connected to the trailing end portion of the tubular body and configured to retain the payload in the body until the nose portion impacts a target, at least a portion of the aft cover being separable from the body when the pusher pushes the payload rearwardly away from the nose; wherein the pusher is axially movable toward the trailing end portion and at least partially into the marking chamber to eject the payload from the interior out the trailing end portion when the nose impacts the target, and wherein the payload ejected from the trailing end portion is configured to mark the target without being obscured by the body or the portions of the target after impact.
 11. The ammunition assembly of claim 10, further comprising a crushable ampoule disposed in the interior chamber, at least a portion of the payload being contained in the ampoule.
 12. The ammunition assembly of claim 11, wherein a portion of the aft cover is disposed in the interior chamber immediately adjacent to the ampoule.
 13. The ammunition assembly of claim 10, wherein the nose includes a thin-walled, streamlined windscreen that defines a forward nose of the ammunition assembly configured to first impact the target.
 14. The ammunition assembly of claim 10, wherein the body, the payload, the nose, and the pusher define a projectile configured to travel along a trajectory path to the target.
 15. The ammunition assembly of claim 10, wherein the payload is at least one of a signature-effect material, a chemiluminescent material, an energetic material, a gas generating material, or an ignition material.
 16. The ammunition assembly of claim 10, wherein the aft cover comprises a window portion that provides visibility from the rear of the body to the payload in the interior chamber.
 17. The ammunition assembly of claim 10, wherein the payload is configured as a tracer function prior to target impact and as an impact marker after impact.
 18. A target-marking ammunition assembly fireable from a firing device, at least a portion of the target-marking assembly configured to travel along a trajectory path to a target, comprising: A body having an interior chamber disposed between opposing leading and trailing end portions; An ejectable payload disposed in the marking chamber, at least a portion of the payload being a tracer element configured to emit a traceable signature from behind the body during travel along the trajectory; A nose portion coupled to the leading end portion of the body; A pusher adjacent to the leading end portion of the body, at least a portion of the pusher being adjacent to the interior chamber and being axially moveable relative to the interior chamber and the body's trailing end portion to eject the payload rearwardly through the body's trailing end portion to mark the target without the ejected payload being obscured by the body or the portions of the target after impact; and An aft cover member connected to the trailing end portion of the tubular body and configured to retain the payload in the body until the nose portion impacts a target, the aft cover member having a window portion that provides visibility from the rear of the body to the payload in the interior chamber during travel along the trajectory.
 19. The ammunition assembly of claim 18, wherein the aft cover is separable from the trailing end portion of the body, and configured to be separated rearwardly from the body upon ejection of the payload via the pusher.
 20. The ammunition assembly of claim 18, further comprising a crushable ampoule disposed in the marking chamber, at least a portion of the payload being contained in the ampoule.
 21. The ammunition assembly of claim 20, wherein the aft cover has a stepped-hat configuration with a first portion disposed partially exterior of the body, and having a second portion that fits into and is at least partially disposed in the interior chamber adjacent to the ampoule.
 22. The ammunition assembly of claim 18 wherein the payload includes a powdered dye material.
 23. The ammunition assembly of claim 18, wherein the payload includes chemiluminescent material activateable to provide visible light during the travel along the trajectory.
 24. The ammunition assembly of claim 18, wherein the payload is configured to generate light in a visible spectrum during travel along the trajectory.
 25. The ammunition assembly of claim 18, wherein the payload is configured to generate infrared light during travel along the trajectory. 